Elvis seizure finally caught on video
 

This is the first one today.


First seizure in video link #1:
Today while drying off from his bath Elvis has 3 seizures, again, despite upping his pheno regiment daily dosage. I wanted to post this because of the incident Jeanie had yesterday (good timing for a bad situation I suppose). This IS a seizure despite it appearing different than what most perceive a seizure to be. My Elvis has cluster seizures (a form of epilepsy). He smashed into an empty diaper box collapsing it and then while trying to get to me in a dead run he went under the desk chair where I couldn't reach him. I took a video to show everyone. Hope this might lend help to anyone else who ever sees their dog doing the same. Normally when Elvis has a seizure I wrap a towel around him and hold him keeping him away from the other dogs-you can never trust them fully animals will always have animal instincts. Sorry about the stinking quality I just wanted to get a video since I was panicked about not being able to reach him and had a moments pause in not trying to hold him to get a video of it finally.

Elvis seizure fed 15 2012 first.MOV - YouTube




Second seizure in video link #2:

The second video is of the second seizure a few moments after it started it wasn't as intense as he had received a dosage of pheno after the first-which isn't always required but acts as a buffer for the next seizures that follow and in hopes of preventing them-which did not happen today.
The second seizure, he stayed lucid at all times (which he always has) but has limited here and often zero at other times motor control but is fully conscious.

Elvis Seizure second fed 15 2012.MOV - YouTube

Elvis' third seizure happened only moments after this one ended and he hasn't had one since. Considering the severity of his episodes of cluster seizures we are seeing improvement with new meds and an upping of them after the first 30 days. He now takes I forget the milligrams but one entire pill at a time (instead of half of one) three times a day so three whole pills a day.

Hopefully within another 30 days this level will stabilize him and he will be seizure free...:confused:

Oh that poor baby! You can just see in his eyes how he doesn't understand what's happening to him. I'm sad to see Elvis suffer like that, but you are right it is educational...that was the first time I've ever seen a dog have a seizure.

I hope the meds offer him some relief very soon.

Seizures are very scary for the owner who doesn't recognize them. My German Shepherd had a few grand mal seizures and thankfully I didn't panic as I knew what they were like.

I hope Elvis is seizure free for quite a while. Give him a hug for me.
Dyan

Poor Elvis. :( My heart breaks for him & you and this really hits home because of my little Max's seizures. But isn't Elvis doing a little bit better so far that you've started the Pheno? Are you giving him any kind of liver supplement?

Poor baby!

Poor little one. Praying he is better soon

Hope you can find the right combination of meds to make him feel better.

I am so sorry. It is so heartbreaking when they suffer. I am so very sorry that Elvis has to endure this situation. Poor baby, and such stress for you as well. I hope the seizures can be eliminated. Our very best to you and Elvis. {{{hugs}}}

That is so sad I couldn't even finish watching the first one. I wanted to cry. Are you showing us to try to find an answer if they look familiar or does the doctor know why already? Was he born like this or was it sudden? If you don't have answers, I hope you do soon and there is some medication he can take to control these! He is adorable. Is he a Biewer?

Poor baby. I feel so sad for him. Like the OP said, you can see in his eyes that he doesn't understand. I have never seen a dog have a seizure so I thank you for the videos to educate those of us who don't know what a seizure looks like. I do hope the new dosage of pheno helps get his seizures under control soon. Prayers for you and your baby boy.

That is what's so upsetting is that he doesn't understand and I hope he isn't so scared.

Elvis has been diagnosed already.

He is epileptic with cluster seizures with what can only be determined after many many many (and expensive) tests over what has now been 2 years about, genetic epilepsy. I forget the word they used meaning it has no cause other than neurological itself.

After undetermined but exhausting research it appears Elvis' line was known to have both LS and neurological issues in it.

Elvis has only been on pheno just over a month now our alternative treatment wasn't working. We just upped the dosage of pheno in hope to control seizures which have increased in frequency over time as well. They started out about every 4 months to up to every two months once only weeks apart but going from 3-5 to a couple days of spaced out seizures (cluster seizures).

Elvis is not currently on any liver supplements but is being monitored for liver function via blood tests.
I'd definitely consider a liver supplement but we also want to change nothing but his new seizure meds once he stable for 90 days to make sure everything is uninterrupted and can be properly monitored.

Thank you everyone for your kind words.

Personally for me this has been very challenging I had to get it through my own head that epilepsy is forever there is no magic pill to make sure he never has another seizure and I have been very frustrated going through this...very angry and sad because I've been working through the "it's just not fair" train of thought.

I missed a few posts sorry. Elvis came to me at what was said to be 2 years old maybe 4 not entirely sure now...

His teeth were in such bad shape vet said age couldn't be entirely determined by them.

His AKC registraion was refused to me after a long drawn out (even on here) fight with the breeder I got him from who rehomed him.
She claims he never had a seizure with her-however she also failed to send his vet records as agreed per out sales contract...so anyone's best guess.

I was told he is a parti but again nothing can be fully verified because of the original breeder's line he came from and the actions of the breeder who rehomed him with me.

If what I was told is true, he was 2 1/2 when I got him a fully parti yorkie and his line was ended when he and his sister were born both parents were fixed as well the rest of the stock from that parti line.

I beleive he is in fact very scared and very unsure of what happens because he will run to me every-time and tries to crawl into my lap and "hide" both during and for a day or two after.

I forgot to say sorry!

Elvis had his pheno upped from half a pill each time to a whole pill each time after the first 30 days so he now gets 3 whole pills a day.

That is so sad to see him like that Im sorry!

Thank you.

When this first happened I was very back and forth but in the end I just couldn't let him go back knowing the fate he'd have or let go of someone (a dog but 'someone') we had bonded to already and he had finally started to bond to us-he had his first seizures only a month maybe two or three I'd have to check after being with us.

I'll be totally honest I did really consider sending him o rescue when I was told about the costs and when the bills started piling up...then I decided yes rescue is the answer, as he sat on my lap and I looked at rescues available, I looked down at him and had to imagine giving him away and him being gone-the realization was too much I just couldn't do it.

My major concern was not having my children see a dog go through this and not make it (I was super uneducated about it all back then too-epilepsy, and we weren't sure what it was but I was told he might not live much longer or may need to be put down if he didn't come out of a seizure-which unfortunately is still a reality we may face). In the end I had to think about our attachment to him, his to us, and what would I be teaching my kids--if an animal is sick you just get rid of it, it might cost too much or be too emotionally painful?

I want to teach my children about responsibility and treating pets as full family members so this is what we chose. However I imagine even if I had followed through with rescue...I'd have gotten there and not been able to let go of him..

I try not to judge those who consider these options, I've been there, I considered it, however when the realization hits you make a choice, I know mine and why and I can't understand why anyone would choose any differently than I did.

It was very hard to sit and video him being unable to reach him under the chair. I could have grabbed and pulled him out, but I didn't want to stress him more until the seizure was over.

Elvis' seizures are very different from what I though a seizure looked like I hope these videos can help anyone else to recognize that seizures aren't all grand mal or lesser in intensity-they can take many forms.

Elvis was initially deemed the $10,000 dog by my best friend in a loving mocking kind of way...however Elvis' care has surpassed that already-in 2 years- and I hope people realize the financial impact of pet ownership when you have a serious illness. I may go broke, he might not live a long life, but we will treasure the quality of life he has and our time with him, for however long it may be.

Again I really appreciate everyone's kind words, I'm not sure how I could emotionally, mentally get through this without the Yorkie Talk community, thank you all for being here.:):luvu::love::thumbs up:thumbs up:thumbs up

Poor little man! So glad he's got an awesome Momma like you.:thumbup:
Looks like you're doing everything you can for your little man, and I know you'll find the correct drug combination that works best (goodness knows you're stubborn enough! :p).

*Hugs* Prayers your little man starts feeling better.
Little Elvis is just a hunk of burning love!:love:

This brought back memories of Gina having seizures. Poor Elvis. It is scary when they do this. Thank goodness Gina never seizured enough to be put on meds. Only when she was extremely stressed would this happen so we tried to keep stress out of her life. Seeing the videos of your baby in such a helpless way makes me so sad for all of the little ones (and big ones too) that go through this.
I hope his meds improve his chances of eliminating the amount of attacks.

Poor Elvis. I don't know the history..only read bits and pieces. Has he been checked for LS? Has he had a complete neuro work up?

Prayers for Elvis....

Seizures
 

Its a scarey thing when they have seizures! We had two of them. the first won we had Buttons,he would literally die on us. I Brought him back many times. It was hard cuz he was so small and the vet didnt want to give him meds:( He later on had trach problems and couldnt breathe. We had to put him down:( Anyways, sorry for ur dogs seizures, but i learned when they have them, be calm. They sence when ur upset. Hard to do i know! I also was told give them a lil sugar water when they lay around it helps too.

For future reference and for others who read this thread, if a vet tells you an animal is too small for medication for seizures or any other medical condition, I would say it is time to find a new vet.

Haha Taryn! :p;):D

LJ...yes initially we did a full blood panel and several other specific test as I was reporting what he did to the emergency vet and our own (we since go elsewhere because of the seizure treatment issues and my lack of feeling they were offering real solutions for management) I described what was happening and they said sounds liek seizures let's figure out why and I was like-no, I don;t think it was seizures-becuase they appear different than what I perceived a seizure to be.

Elvis was checked about 6 times now for LS issues as well initially to ensure he hadn't ingested or was allergic to anything, food, shampoo, treats, random something off the ground etc.

All Elvis' test have always been normal or no sign of any foreign body, toxicity etc. Thus it was ruled neurological diagnosed after 6 months of the issue presenting. We did do the neurological consult @ UC Davis and a secondary consult only with an independent in Sacrament who has a private practice-that one wasn't much help at all. To be honest the vet we saw in a local practice for the last emergency visit was the most helpful, he seemed to chew me out a bit but I don't care he set us on the right path and we are grateful for that.

We went through 4 vets also. I could have listened to the vets and been satisfied, thankfully I had Yorkie Talk here and people saying, no this isn't correct this isn't right-I had a vet laugh and roll his eyes when I took in a print out of a Yorkie Talk thread-I feel the same way about him also.

We weren't happy with the initial neurological diagnosis-we weren't happy with the initial suggested protocol, we weren't happy with the suggestion we just put him down and we won't be happy until this is fully under control and managed, yes perhaps a difficult patient he an I may be, but some times being stubborn means getting a long term better result. We are supposed to go back in June for further neurology. We'll see what happens before then and now.

I just found your videos of Elvis. I watched them both. My heart goes out to him. You're right. It just isn't fair.:(

...poor little Elvis...he looks so scared...to look at his precious little face just broke my heart. you are a wonderful person to take such good care of him.

:( Literally brings tears to my eyes! that is sooo sad! Take good care of him.. as you are! :)

Bless you for being such a wonderful mom to Elvis. I will pray for you both and hope he will get stable and start living a long and happy life.

A friend of mine had a Biewer who started having seizures and her Yorkie attacked her and almost killed her. Now the living situation is a lot different.

Seizure video
 

Hello.
How very sad for poor Elvis and you and your family. He looks so scared and innocent. I do so feel for you and all the anguish you have and are going through. I also respect your decision to keep him in spite of the horrendous cost and worry. I know how you feel with a sick dog and what it takes to deal with him. May God give you strength to go on and take care of Elvis. We pray he gets better. Thinking of you and wishing you well.

That is so sad to watch. I understand the heartache caring for an epileptic pup. Elvis is so blessed to have you caring and loving him. I just wanted to wish you the best and to just offer an article recommending ice packs to lessen the seizures. I used this method and had pretty good luck with it.....

Using an ice pack to stop canine seizures